We will have notes and observations from this morning’s VTA Board of Directors meeting in San Jose later this evening.
Meanwhile, you can tell Congress NOT to cut transit tax benefits for commuters to $120/year at the end of this year.
Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users
December 8 (Thursday) at 8:30am the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will have its last Board of Directors meeting for 2011. Here’s a roster of who sat on the VTA Board of Directors in 2011.
The meeting will be held at the County Supervisors’ Chambers at the County Government Center at 70 West Hedding Street in San Jose. The Government Center is 1 block north of Civic Center light rail station. Also, VTA’s 61, 62, 66, and 181 express bus lines stop nearby at the Civic Center light rail station on N. First Street. Also, there’s a VTA bus stop for the 61 or the 62 bus line service to Sierra & Piedmont in eastern San Jose, only 50 yards from the Government Center’s main front entrance.
More on the last VTA Board Meeting of 2011 after the jump…
Last night, members of the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) met at UC Berkeley for a public information session on (strengthening) public transit civil rights rules.
During that meeting, FTA staff noted it was the best community turnout seen on public transit civil rights rules amongst its meetings nationwide. The last such meeting will be in Atlanta on November 17.
One FTA official at the meeting challenged regional agencies like the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) to engage “environmental justice” populations (minorities and the poor) in making public transit decisions. FTA officials also mentioned that historically low-income and minority people have been negatively affected by transit projects. FTA officials also mentioned that agencies like VTA must include the public and use public input in their transit service decision making.
This is definitely something I will get our group to strongly consider adopting, to help fight future VTA service cuts and fare hikes. More information on what FTA is doing is here.
Eugene Bradley
Founder, Silicon Valley Transit Users